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Garden Spells (Paperback)

by Sarah Addison Allen (Author)

4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)

List Price:	CDN$ 14.00
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Product Details

Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Bantam Discovery; Reprint edition (April 29 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 055338483X
ISBN-13: 978-0553384833
Product Dimensions: 20.8 x 13.7 x 2.5 cm
Shipping Weight: 250 g

Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)

Amazon.ca Sales Rank: #28,420 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
Popular in this category:
#38 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Women's Fiction > Domestic Life

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Product Description

From Publishers Weekly

Two gifted sisters draw on their talents to belatedly forge a bond and find their ways in life in Allen's easygoing debut novel. Thirty-four-year-old Claire Waverley manifests her talent in cooking; using edible flowers, Claire creates dishes that affect the eater in curious ways. But not all Waverley women embrace their gifts; some, including Claire's mother, escape the family's eccentric reputation by running away. She abandoned Claire and her sister when they were young. Consequently, Claire has remained close to home, unwilling to open up to new people or experiences. Claire's younger sister, Sydney, however, followed in their mother's footsteps 10 years ago and left for New York, and after a string of abusive, roustabout boyfriends, returns to Bascom, N.C., with her five-year-old daughter, Bay. As Sydney reacquaints herself with old friends and rivals, she discovers her own Waverley magic. Claire, in turn, begins to open up to her sister and in the process learns how to welcome other possibilities. Though Allen's prose can lean toward the pedestrian and the romance subplots feel perfunctory, the blending of horticultural folklore, the supernatural and a big dollop of Southern flavor should find favor with a wide swath of readers. (Aug.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Take a pinch of marigold to stimulate affection, add a dash of snapdragon to repel evil influences, finish with a generous helping of rose petals to encourage love, then stand back and let nature take its course. It may be the recipe for Claire Waverley's successful catering business, but when it comes to working its magic on her own love life, she seems to be immune to the charms found only in the plants that have always grown behind the Waverley mansion. Like generations of Waverley women before her, Claire has accepted her family's mysterious gifts, while her estranged sister, Sydney, could not run away from them fast enough. Knowing it's just a matter of time before her abusive boyfriend finally kills her, however, Sydney escapes with her young daughter back home to the only place she knows she'll be safe. Spellbindingly charming, Allen's impressively accomplished debut novel will bewitch fans of Alice Hoffman and Laura Esquivel, as her entrancing brand of magic realism nimbly blends the evanescent desires of hopeless romantics with the inherent wariness of those who have been hurt once too often. Haggas, Carol --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Inside This Book (Learn More)

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Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt

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Customer Reviews

4 Reviews

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

Average Customer Review

4.0 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)

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5.0 out of 5 stars A spell-binding read, Jan 3 2009

By	Rhea (Canada) - See all my reviews

I picked this book up because I enjoyed "Practical Magic." This book captivated me from beginning to end. The magic is subtle and the characters are beautifully written. This is a charming little book that will put you under its spell!

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5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best I ever read, Aug 19 2008

By	Bella - See all my reviews

Garden Spells is very well written. I love this book from first page till the end, I think about this book long after I finish. And I ordered " sugar queen" right the way, the newest book.
this story is very positive, how good life can be if we willing to enjoy and go beyond.
How changes unfold to something positive. And there's magic in this story too.
It's easy read, strong characters and great story line. Give it a try, really good.

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3.0 out of 5 stars Garden Spells, July 30 2008

By	Pauline - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

"Garden Spells" by Sarah Addison Allen is a romantic, practical fantastical book.

The Waverley family has long been the odd ball family in town, their apple tree that grows in their yard is a legend and if you eat one of the apples from the tree you will see a pivotal future event in your life. Some see when and how they die others see their future love. The tree tries to be part of the family by throwing apples at the family members and moving things with its branches, but no one seems to appreciate the tree except for one or two members of the Waverley family throughout the tree's history.

Claire Waverley is the sister that stayed in Bascom, North Carolina since her mother abandoned her there with her baby sister when Claire was six years old. Claire is now thirty-four years old and runs a successful catering business. Her sister Sydney reappears after a long absence with her daughter in tow. Sydney has escaped an abusive relationship and is trying to find refuge for herself, but mostly for her daughter. Her sister takes her in and they develop a stronger bond then they had when they were youngsters.

Claire is able to weave magic with her food and influence people's moods by serving them certain culinary delights. A life of order and predictability is what Claire lives and loves. A handsome professor buys the house next to Claire's and falls hopelessly in love with Claire, but Claire is resistant to his advances and the love story that unfolds is charming and maybe a slight cheesy.

There are a lot of side characters, my favorite being the seventy-nine year old Evanelle who has a compulsion to give people the weirdest items. The items she gives people always play a pivotal role in their lives if they choose to keep the item.

"Garden Spells" is a light book full of romance and good guys and bad guys your mother would want you to date or not to date. I found the first half of the book enchanting, the third quarter got a bit cheesy and tiring, but the last quarter finished off nicely. A definite chic book and it may appeal to foodies due to Claire's culinary life.

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Most recent customer reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars ...but first, a personal confession.
I am biased in reviewing this novel, as well as Ms Allen's second, 'The Sugar Queen'. I do not fit the demographic for such fare (namely that of whimsical, magical chick-lit set... Read more

Published 9 months ago by Schmadrian